Global Builders – Papua New Guinea

The Fuller Center in Papua New Guinea will focus on helping families in rural areas of New Ireland Province. Rural families in Papua New Guinea tend to live with their extended families. On average the size of an extended family is 5-7 adults and their children. Many of these families currently live in homes built out of untreated round logs and sago thatch. In grass land areas grass is used as roofing. These homes would typically only last 3-5 years.

The Fuller Center in Papua New Guinea is looking to help these families by working with them to provide simple, decent, and affordable homes. The work is led by a Board of Directors of dedicated Papua New Guineans who donate their time and energy into making the program possible. However, we need volunteer teams to help provide funding for these homes and assist with the building, which is where you come in!

Each trip to Papua New Guinea will be with a group of mission-minded volunteers – typically 8-20 total – who want to experience the world, meet new people, and make a difference. No skills required, and trips last 1-2 weeks

Click on the leader’s name to learn more about the leader and trip details. Click “Join” to apply for their trip. Have a spot reserved on a “Full” trip? Complete your registration here. Or learn about sending funds to support local labor by joining as a virtual participant.

Papua New Guinea is located in the Pacific ocean just north of Australia. The country consists of the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, along with many smaller islands. Papua New Guinea is known as one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Even though they only have a population of 7 million, there are over 800 different languages spoken. Papua New Guinea is also one of the most rural countries in the world as less than a 1/4 of its population live in urban areas, and it is believed that there are still uncontacted people groups.

Global Builders teams will be working in and around the town of Kavieng, which is the capital of the province of New Ireland and located on the island of the same name. The city is made up of 19,000 people and is a popular dive, trekking, and surf location due to its biological diversity and close proximity to other islands.

Learn the Basics – Area Info

Language:

Official languages – Tok Pisin, English, Hiri Motu

Age Structure:

0-14 years 33.93%, 15-24 years 19.86%, 25-54 years 36.65%, 55+ 9.56%

Population:

6,791,317 (2016 est.)

Life Expectancy:

67.2 years (Male 65, Female 69.5)

Climate:

Tropical climate with temperatures in the 70s-80s.

Currency:

Papua New Guinea, Kina (K) $1USD = 3.18 K

Literacy Rate:

64.2% (65.6% Male, 62.8% Female)

Ethnic Groups:

Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

Religion:

Roman Catholic 27%, Protestant 69.4%, Baha’i .3%, Other 3.3%

More Info – Learn more about what a trip is like

Typical Day

Sample Schedule:

7:00 a.m. – Breakfast

8:00 a.m. – Depart for work-site

8:30 a.m. – Start building

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Continue building

5:00 p.m. – Evening free for dinner and relaxation (Exact schedules can be discussed and set depending on the team’s preferences and length of stay.)

Type of work

We will be building mostly new homes throughout the New Ireland Province area. The homes will typically be 400 sq ft and are built on stilts and are primarily made out of wood.

Work will typically involve helping the masons and carpenters. This work involves sawing, hammering, lifting, mixing cement, etc. We will provide necessary tools, but as with most build sites, it never hurts to bring a few small hand tools with you.

Food and Lodging

Teams will be staying at Loukong Place in Omo Village. Loukong Place is a guesthouse that is made up of 8 rooms with a total of 24 beds. There is a common outdoor space that can be used for relaxing and eating meals. The guesthouse has running water and electricity. All three meals are included in the trip cost. Food served to the group will come from arrangements made by the country host. Breakfast and supper will be served at the guesthouse while lunch will be provided at the work-site.

Rest, Relaxation, and Sightseeing

Coming Soon!

The first Fuller Center home in Papua New Guinea

Costs

Most 10-14 day trips will cost around $2,000. More precise budgets are custom and are developed for each trip. The trip fee includes food, lodging, all in-country transportation, emergency medical and evacuation insurance, and a donation to the project.

Next Steps

As trips with openings become available, we post them at the top of this page. To apply to join their trip, simply click “Join” next to the trip of your choice. To request more information or be put in touch with the team leader, click the “Request more information” button at the top. If you’re an experienced traveler or team leader, or if you have a group of your own (church, school, etc.), Propose a Trip to let us know what you might like to do!

Trip Preparation

Are you unsure of how to prepare for such an experience or just looking for some tips on how to be better prepared? If so, we suggest you take a look at our Trip Preparation page where you will find a lot of helpful information and links – Preparing For Your Trip!